It’s Time to Register!
It’s time to register to vote!
…unless you are already registered, of course. In that case, YAY!!!
In Texas, our deadline to register to vote in the November 2026 midterm election is October 5, 2026. If you are already registered in Texas, it’s a good idea to confirm your registration by visiting VOTETEXAS.GOV, and find the link to “Am I Registered?” in the third paragraph. VOTETEXAS.GOV is an official website of the Texas Secretary of State.
Some important dates for Texas voters:
- Deadline to register to vote: October 5, 2026
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Early voting starts: Monday, October 19, 2026
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Deadline for vote-by-mail applications to arrive at county elections office: Friday, October 23, 2026. If you want a mail-in ballot, request one now. More information at Voting By Mail at VOTETEXAS.GOV.
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Last day to vote early in person: Friday, October 30, 2026
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Election Day: November 3, 2026
I’m not familiar with voter registration in other states, but you should be able to find out online by searching how to register to vote in your state.
The quilt pictured here is called What to Do in a Democracy. I made it in 2019 to liven up our voter registration booths at various locations around the county.
Read more about the quilt at this blog post. It shows a closeup of the “O” made from a crocheted edging.
Crochet Treasures in England
My little family moved from Texas to the City of Sheffield, England, in 1996, and back to Texas in 2003. This past May, we finally returned to Sheffield for a visit. It was a sweet homecoming. We walked and walked around the Sheffield neighborhoods and surrounding countryside, enjoying the cool days. I wondered why we ever left!
We visited friends, the old neighborhood, the Peak District, the seaside, and the charity shops. Ah the charity shops! I have missed them. They are thrift shops, with the proceeds going to certain causes. They are usually named after the whatever charity they support, like St. Luke’s Charity Shop, which benefits St. Luke’s Hospice. Our house in Sheffield was near the St. Luke’s Charity Shop on Abbeydale Road. We visited pretty often, back then. Once, I brought a good many mother-of-pearl buttons up to the register at St. Luke’s. The cashier told me they would be more expensive, because they were not just your run of the mill buttons. I braced myself. She quoted a price. I paid it gladly, because even at the mother-of-pearl price, the buttons were very affordable.
This year I found crocheted treasures at the Sheffield Cats Shelter Charity Shop. The first one had flower and leaf designs, associated in my mind with Irish Crochet. It was so unusual, I had to take it home. I’m calling it the Irish-ish Table Mat.
Further down in the stack of handmade items, was a rare crochet piece. The pattern was geometric, crocheted in long rows, some of which had short fringe on the ends.
It was rare, because it had a maker’s label on it. Even more interesting, the initials “E. F.” are both my daughters’ initials! Yes, that one came home with me, too.
Later that day we drove to the town of Tideswell in the Peak District to visit Peak District Yarns, for a little shopping. Browsing through their hand-dyed yarns was a pleasure.
It was a short walk from the yarn store to Peak Volumes, a used book store in an old bank building with a pleasing mosaic floor in the entryway. I headed for the craft section. There was a book about 9 inches tall with a raggedy spine. It looked promising. I pulled it off the shelf for a look. My heart filled with joy when I saw that it was an original copy of Artistic Crochet, edited by Flora Klickmann. She was a prolific writer and editor of books about home arts and more. It came back with me to Texas in my carry-on bag.
Luckily, we can view, download, or print the complete Artistic Crochet, edited by Flora Klickmann, starting with the overview page at Antique Pattern Library: Artistic Crochet. To download or print, click the PDF option in the title box near the top of the page.
Highlights from our trip are posted on Instagram, @suzannthompson, May 16 – July 5, 2026.
His & Hers Pillowcases with Crochet
I decided to see what I could find online about His & Hers pillowcases, after running across a HER pillowcase at the charming Comanche Mercantile store in Comanche, Texas. I had seen embroidered versions of His & Hers pillowcases, but this was the first time seeing HER spelled out in crocheted letters.
Embroider-it-yourself pillowcases were popular during a big chunk of the 20th Century. Embroidery designs included florals, sweet animals, crinoline ladies, His & Hers sets, and more. Designers seemed to have some fun with His & Hers-themed pillowcases. Naturally there was the Mr & Mrs variation, but things got more interesting with his and hers represented by clothing designs–boxer shorts for him and tap pants with bows and frills for her. A design with “I rule the roost” for him and “I rule the rooster” for her made me laugh.
In this newspaper ad from 1921, the Fellmans store in Galveston, Texas, offered pillowcases “stamped for embroidery and spoke stitch hems for crochet” for $1.50 a pair. I would love to visit 1921 and see what kind of embroidery designs they had.
Embroiderers can still buy pre-stamped pillowcases in many cute and beautiful designs, but not for only $1.50 a pair, unfortunately. This online vendor has His & Hers designs and others: Jack Dempsey Needle Art. Other vendors with similar products are just an internet search away.
When I searched for vintage embroidered pillowcases on Ebay on August 23, 2026, there were lots! Some had crocheted trims, too. There was even a very cute “I Rule the Roost/I Rule the Rooster” pillowcase set listed on Ebay.
The Fellmans ad was from the Portal to Texas History’s Texas newspaper archive. That archive is a treasure! Here’s the link to the ad:
Galveston Tribune. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 267, Ed. 1, Page 2, Tuesday, October 4, 1921, newspaper, October 4, 1921; (accessed August 5, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, crediting Rosenberg Library.
Gather ‘Round
Folklife on this earth is rich and varied, including traditional stories, festivities, cooking, music, and things that people make. There’s a term that describes, in general, the practice and results of folks making things. That term is “material culture.”
In the early 1980s, I demonstrated knitting and crochet at the Texas Folklife Festival in San Antonio, on my own or with the Knitters and Crocheters Guild of Austin. Later, after learning more about folklore and folklife, I was pretty sure that needlework was definitely an aspect of folklife, with plenty of lore mixed in for good measure. I mean, why else would the Texas Folklife Festival invite us, year after year, to demonstrate our knitting and crochet skills?
It’s the same for quilting and other needlework. These skills were and still are practiced mostly by women and girls, teaching and learning from each other. Some worked in solitude, and some in groups that build their own collections of stories. The weekly Dublin Rippers Quilting Bee is a group like that. I’ve been a member since about 2010.
When the Texas Folklore Society called for articles for an upcoming book about gatherings, I talked at length to my quilting friends about the history and activities of the Dublin Rippers. The result was a story titled, “The Dublin Rippers Quilting Bee, Est. 2000.”
We were pleased when we found out the story was accepted for the book, Gather ‘Round: Gatherings in Texas and the Southwest, edited by Kristina Downs, pp. 232-242, 2025, Texas Folklore Society, Stephenville, Texas.
Now I’m waiting for a Texas Folklore Society call for articles, that seems right for a story about crochet!
Gather ‘Round is available for purchase at amazon.com.
Junior High Embroidery
Blue chambray work shirts with hand embroidery were all the rage in the early 1970s. Everybody had one! Or so it seemed to seventh-grade me.
My mom encouraged embroidery and other needlework, so she bought me some embroidery floss and the correct kind of shirt. I have a hazy memory of working on it.
The other thing my mom encouraged was learning the names of garden flowers and wildflowers. So of course I chose flower motifs for embroidery: a pink daisy-like flower, a Firewheel or Gaillardia, a Bluebonnet, and orange-stemmed fantasy plant, a red tulip, a white daisy, and some Hat Flowers. Out of seven, that’s three Texas wildflowers. I drew them myself!
The butterflies were a finishing touch: two on the back and one on the front pocket. That pocket is destined to be part of a quilt someday.
Crochet in the Angel Rose Bed & Breakfast
The latest outing of Texas Crochet Heritage and Celebrate Doilies took me to Rockport, Texas. It was a long drive from Comanche County to deliver the quilts, and another long drive to pick them up when the exhibit was over.
For both trips, I had the great good fortune to stay at the Angel Rose Bed & Breakfast, within walking distance from the brand new Rockport Community Center, which hosted the exhibits. In the other direction, it was a short walk to S. Austin Street, Rockport’s main street and home of good restaurants.
Angel Rose has been through several remodels, repairs, and restorations since it was first built in 1881. However, from the beginning, it has been a house where crochet can feel at home.
This pretty Irish Crochet-style doily with a border of roses and leaves is in one of the sitting rooms.
The guest bed skirt was trimmed with crochet. It was such a lovely touch, but I couldn’t help but imagine how much work it used to be to wash that coverlet and press it to keep the crochet from curling.
The most impressive of all was this large doily, framed and hung at the head of the guest bed. How in the world did the crocheter create those precisely-shaped open spaces in the lacy pattern?
I quickly closed in for a better look. Ah—I see. I thought I was looking at the blue background peeking through those open spaces. It turned out that this was a two-color doily. The blue thread was almost exactly the same color as the mat board in the background. You can see it better from an angle:
The mystery was solved, but the story continued.
Months later, I was browsing through old crochet instruction books in the Antique Pattern Library, as one does for entertainment on a Friday night…or really anytime. And there it was, the “Pineapple” Centerpiece, in Doilies, Lily Design Book No. 79. Lily Mills manufactured all kinds of crochet threads.
Go have a look! Here’s the link: Pineapple Centerpiece, page 12 of Lily Design Book No. 79.
Peacock in the Garden
Every now and then I make the trek to the Chicken House Flea Market between Stephenville and Dublin, Texas, to look for vintage crochet. Sometimes I’m lucky, especially the time this filet crochet peacock turned up in one of the shops for $1.00. That is not a typo. It cost one dollar.
It took a while, but I finally made a quilt using the crochet panel. To showcase the crochet, I used my usual style of sewing the crochet onto a plain background. Then I make a piano-keys border. In this case, I added an extra piece of floral fabric below the crocheted panel to keep the final piece from being too long and skinny.
A lot of the piano-keys fabrics were from the scrap basket at the weekly quilting bee I have been going to for years. It’s fun to sort through the scraps and bring home a few treasures.
The wide keys with the showy flowers were from fabric that belonged to my friend Peggy’s beloved mother-in-law, Alice. Alice was a hand quilter and tried to convince Peggy to be a quilter, too. Peggy couldn’t imagine taking so very long to finish a project. It was only when she was invited to a quilting bee where quilters machine-pieced and -quilted, that Peggy took the plunge and became a prolific and excellent quilter. Another thing Alice did was to help Peggy find her first well-fitting thimble. Peggy doesn’t hand-sew without it.
After Peacock in the Garden was quilted and bound, it was button time! As usual, I enjoyed combing through my buttons to find iridescent buttons and more. They frame the crocheted piece and cover the uneven edges. I sewed pinkish, orangey, and red buttons, in groups of three, to the floral panel under the peacock. It didn’t have nearly enough flowers to start with. The buttons took care of that.
Sweet Picot Heart Pattern
Use any yarn to crochet the Sweet Picot Heart motif, from crochet cotton thread to bulky yarn. Use the hearts to tuck into a Valentine’s card, as mug rugs, and as embellishment for garments or accessories. I’ve got you covered on the instructions: they are both written and charted.
The crocheted Sweet Picot Heart motif pattern is for sale now on Ravelry.
The “Sweet Picot Heart Motif and More” pattern includes
- the Sweet Picot Heart motif
- a heart table mat
- written and charted instructions photos to help you visualize the
instructions better - how to join heart motifs
- how to do an invisible join at the end of the last round
- the inspiration for the pattern
- nice suggestions for using the heart motifs
For each “Sweet Picot Heart and More” sold, I will donate one dollar to the Comanche (TX) All Pets Alive group, which compassionately cares for stray pets until their owners are found or until new homes are found for them.
Introducing the Texas Crochet Heritage Exhibit
The Texas Crochet Heritage traveling exhibit is about doily crocheters, doily culture, and doily history, with a little doily art and poetry, for good measure.
The exhibit consists of forty-five 16 x 20″ panels featuring photos, maker stories, history, and culture of doilies and similar items. The Texas Lakes Trail Region heritage and tourism office (affiliated with the Texas Historical Commission) published the exhibit in 2019. Since then, the Texas Crochet Heritage exhibit has traveled to Texas museums, cultural centers, and libraries.
To find out how to rent the Texas Crochet Heritage exhibit and learn about optional add-ons, contact Wade Dillon, Executive Director of the Texas Lakes Trail region at info@texaslakestrail.com. The price to have the display for 6-8 weeks is $350, plus postage to the next venue.
Examples from the Texas Crochet Heritage Exhibit
Thanks in part to a grant from the Summerlee Foundation, Suzann Thompson created the Texas Crochet Heritage exhibit based on interviews, fieldwork, and archival research. Following are three examples of stories she discovered, which are included in the Texas Crochet Heritage exhibit.
On her fieldtrip around the Texas Panhandle, Suzann met individuals and staff at small and large museums, to talk about doilies. Among the generous people Suzann talked to on the trip, were Jim and Beverly Baker, who told about Jim’s mother, Marie Colene Schwartz Baker.
Back at home, Suzann spent hours exploring newspaper articles about doilies in the wonderful, digital Portal to Texas History. She found ads selling doily patterns, articles about how to use doilies, reports of social occasions where doilies were included in table centerpieces, and the time-honored American tradition of crochet competitions in county fairs.
Poet and musician Sandi Horton was an early collaborator in Suzann’s doily research and art journey.
The rich history of doily-making unfolds every single day, because yes, people still crochet doilies. At the same time, the personal history of doily makers is erased from living memory every day. The future of crochet heritage research, by Suzann Thompson and others, will capture as many of those stories and histories as possible.
2023 Seeking Crochet Apprentice
Interested in continuing the traditional art of crochet in Texas? Texas Folklife funds an Apprentice/Mentor program, where the goal is to foster “the continuity of traditional arts in Texas.” I am seeking a Texas crocheter to join me as an apprentice in applying for Texas Folklife’s Apprenticeship Program.
The application deadline is in the fall of 2023, for a 2024 apprenticeship. It seems a long way away, but Texas Folklife values a good relationship between apprentice and mentor, and it takes a while to build a relationship like that.
Click here to read about Texas Folklife’s Apprenticeship Program.
A prospective apprentice should already know how to crochet, and be interested in the tradition of crochet. If you would like to explore crochet in your own community, we can build an apprenticeship program plan around that. If you’re not sure what crochet tradition you would like to concentrate on, my suggestion is that we study Texas Thread Crochet. A small stipend for apprentice and mentor covers reasonable expenses.
As a prospective mentor, I have long experience as a crochet designer, author, and community researcher. I’m a Board member at the Center for Knit and Crochet (centerforknitandcrochet.org). You can find more about me at www.textilefusion.com/about, where you will find links to my artist’s resume and complete CV.
Apprenticeship applicants must
- know how to crochet,
- have an interest in the tradition and culture of crochet in Texas,
- live in Texas, and
- be at least 18 years old.
If funded, the project runs for six to eight months, beginning early in 2024. Texas Folklife recommends 8 to 12 hours of instruction per month. Outside of actual instruction, expect to spend time crocheting and preparing for lessons, and working on our final report. Some travel will be necessary.
Commitment
- Apply to be an apprentice at www.textilefusion.com/apprenticeapp2023.pdf, and return it to the address or email address listed on the application, by May 1, 2023. The application is about your personal crochet history and why you want to be part of the Apprentice/Mentor program.
I don’t know how many crocheters will apply to work with me, but if I have to choose among two or more applicants, I will do so by June 1, 2023. Then, the Apprentice and I will:
- Get to know each other via Zoom or in person, if possible. Texas Folklife wants mentors and apprentices to know each other and have a good relationship.
- Work together on a proposal for our six- to eight-month program of instruction, making, exploring the course of study we agree on. The deadline for sending funding application to Texas Folklife is early December 2023.
If our Apprentice/Mentor proposal is funded:
- The project runs for six to eight months, beginning early in 2024.
- We will work together virtually or in person, 8 to 12 hours per month.
- Apprentice and mentor will spend time outside of instruction in preparation for lessons, crocheting, doing homework, preparing the final report.
- Some travel will be necessary.
Please contact me with any questions at knitandcrochetwithsuzann@outlook.com . I would be glad to schedule a call or an online meeting to visit with you about the program.
